“Don’t follow leaders, watch the parkin’ meters!” ∼ Bob Dylan
Last November I detailed the Kincannon administration’s parking plan which came in response to the parking report commissioned by the city government. The plan called for changes in downtown signage and on-street parking, as well as valet parking and garage parking. Some of those changes have begun and others will soon appear on a street near you.
In January, the amount hotels pay to block off spots for their (very lucrative) valet spots increased from $250 per year, per space, to $2,000 per year. Lest you weep for them, Argentina, please know that Chattanooga and Nashville currently charge $5,000 and our rates won’t go that high until 2027.
Next up are the changes for on-street parking. As announced last November, changes for on-street parking spots include:
- Mobile pay via ParkMobile (no cards or coins on-street)
- Rate increase to $2/hour (now $1.50), keep 2-hour max.
- Long-term spots Rate increase to $1/hour (now $.30), 4-hour max. (now 10-hour max.)
- 30-minutes spots Rate increase to $1/30 min. (now $.75)
- Hours for fees: 8 am – 8 pm, Monday-Saturday (Free nights after 8 pm and free Sundays)
To accomplish these changes, new meters and signage are required. Accordingly, those meters and signs will begin shifting next week. A critical piece for downtown on-street parkers is that payment will be accomplished via the ParkMobile App. You must have this app to pay, as is already the case “in hundreds of cities and locations, including parts of the University of Tennessee campus.”
The changeover isn’t going to happen instantly, as you might imagine with the number of downtown meters and spaces involved. Expect spaces to be in flux through the end of the month, at which time the city plans to have the shift complete. The new rates go into effect March 10.
Several notes of importance include the fact that parking in street spaces will be free after 8:00 pm and on Sundays. Additionally, parking in city-owned parking garages remains free nights and weekends. All 15 and 30 minutes flasher spots will remain and cash will continue to be accepted in garages.
If that’s not enough info for you and you’d like to take a deeper dive or learn more about the app or the conversion timeline, you can do so here.